The Industrial Revolution, Political Revolution, and the Reformation were inseparably intertwined, as the familiar “natural order of things” — aristocracy and serfdom — was replaced with:

• Middle class:  a literate workforce, and middle managers.
• Representative government: every monarch became a figurehead or lost their head.
• The priesthood of all believers

Industrial Imperatives

Every country with any wealth or power had no choice — go through the transformation, or get taken over by a wealthier, more powerful neighbor.  When the transformation was complete, a more egalitarian, informed, and connected society emerged, with four new institutions in place that did not exist just a few decades earlier but now in every powerful nation:

• The post office
• Railroads
• Public schools
• A representative government where selected leaders governed from a central location

It was a bloody revolution in every case, but countries informed by the Reformation were far less bloody.  Charles Dickens’ classic A Tale of Two Cities supremely illustrates the revolution in London, England contrasted with Paris, France.  It’s vivid and stomach-churning.  As with France, so it was also with every country that attempted a “godless” revolution.  “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” turned into horrific vengeance and bloodshed.  China and Russia emerged from their transformation with tens of millions dead, and though the four institutions were in place, it was a bloodbath.

The United States, with our own Civil War where a single battle at Gettysburg consumed more lives than the entire Vietnam conflict, had a relatively peaceful transformation.  But — necessary to eliminate slavery– the transformation was a survival imperative for the country.  Industrialization and the move toward egalitarianism must win.  By the grace of God, the Christian character of the country preserved it from even further carnage.  This despite a character warped and twisted with the horror and injustices of slavery.

From Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address:

The Almighty has His own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.

Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

Lincoln was quoting Psalm 19:9 (KJV).

As these revolutionary principles continued to take root, Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently captured the deepening sentiment:

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

Dr. King paraphrased Isaiah 40:4-5, as he commonly drew inspiration and quotations from the prophets of Scripture.

Divine Grace through Turmoil

Jesus Christ described his followers as “the salt of the earth” and “light of the world”.  His statements prophetically described the role of his followers through the turmoil, and both were evident in the mindset and deeds of the Protestant Reformation.

William Tyndale’s printing press — intended to publish the Bible in native languages rather than just the elite Latin tongue — paved the way for universal literacy.  Literacy would become a requirement for industrialization where middle managers and an educated workforce must run factories and global supply chains.  It also is one of the pillars of self-government, along with moral character.  Thus literacy shone the light of wisdom on those who would need both knowledge and character to navigate the transition.

Martin Luther’s rallying cry of the priesthood of all believers promoted individuals relating directly to God with accountability and authority.  This positive regard and embrace of personal authority shifted the focus of political revolution. Instead of simply blaming the current leaders and exercising revenge, it was a call to personal responsibility.  As salt preserves food from spoiling, this mindset preserved the nations who had the sense to turn toward God instead of away from Him during this violent transformation that took over half a million lives in the United States alone.  It was far better than for those countries who turned away from God and lost tens of millions of lives.

Leadership as Service

Coloring the Protestant Reformation’s influence on political and industrial revolutions was the language of Christianity regarding leadership.

But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-27

Because wisdom is available by God’s grace to all who observe and reflect, this was not the first time leaders had been called to serve.

From Tao-te Ching, a sixth century B.C. work of Lao-tsu:

A leader is best
When people barely know that he exists,
Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,
Worst when they despise him.
“Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you”:
But of a good leader, who talks little,
When his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
They will all say, “We did this ourselves.”

cited in “The Origins of Servant Leadership” by Donald Valeri

Throughout history, this perspective has been the rare exception.  Rulers throughout time have taken titles of “king”, “sovereign”, “potentate”, “magistrate” and other terms indicating authority, power, and magnificence.  However, Jesus’ followers embraced a new vocabulary, as illustrated by the Apostle Paul:

 Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation because it is God’s servant for your well-being. 

(Romans 13:3-4)

Authority as God’s servant.  This is revolutionary indeed.  The word “servant” is sometimes translated “minister”, which is derived from the Latin word for (you guessed it) “servant”.

Over the centuries, this language embedded into the very structures of governments in countries where Christianity had influence:

Minister of Defense
Minister of Education
Minister of Finance

All servants.

The very structure of governments couldn’t help but be transformed, once the concept took root.

Servant Leadership in Business

A couple centuries later the language of servanthood re-emerged in the vernacular, within the world of business.   In 1970, Robert K. Greanleaf published an essay titled “The Servant as Leader” which sent business leadership into a new way of thinking.

Servant leadership as a concept has taken root in businesses transforming to handle the new information economy.  Where teams must be extremely effective, leaders must be servants.

Today a popular framework for teams developing new products and services with agility is called Scrum.  In the Scrum Guide, the key role of Scrum Master is defined:

The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Scrum Team. The Scrum Master helps those outside the Scrum Team understand which of their interactions with the Scrum Team are helpful and which aren’t. The Scrum Master helps everyone change these interactions to maximize the value created by the Scrum Team.

Next month our local Boise State University is offering a class called  “Becoming a Servant Leader”.   This month, a professional Community of Practice I’m part of declared “agile servant leaders” to be in its target audience.

Servant leadership is becoming a good idea, a mandatory principle for virtue and happiness, and also for success.

Most people don’t realize that since World War II, the average human life span is longer and the risk of violent death is lower than any time in history.   The structural influences of the Industrial, Political, and Protestant Reformations have much to do with this.  With the constant temptation of leaders to become bombastic, hubris-filled, greedy, antagonistic power brokers, may the tribe of servant leadership increase, in a triumph of humility.